Quote:
"I didn't realize how common this is until now... I just wish there wasn't such a stigma against it."
Don't we all!
The worst thing about genital warts is its affect on your social life. Fortunately there are a lot of open-minded people who are educated, or willing to be educated on the subject.
nevermind on the previous question.. I've been reading through some of the other posts. My understanding that it can activate when your immune system is weakend. Such as being getting sick or just being stressed...
He's been under alot of stress this year and so have I... so it makes sense. =]
I didn't realize how common this is until now... I just wish there wasn't such a stigma against it.
yes, that makes sense =] ... has there been any studies to on what causes a dormant virus to activate? or any speculations on it???
and thank you again alexdelong, you've been extremely helpful =] I'm really glad I came across this site and I'm definately going to be reading through current and past posts. knowledge is power right? lol
A wart on your hand won't cause a genital warts and genital warts won't cause hand warts. The virus can lay dormant, but once it activates, the immune system responds and clears it, does that make sense?
one more question! is it possible to get HPV from a wart on your hand. My gyn said it's possible but extremely low/rare. Online I've read it's entirely a different type of warts. I have the common hpv of either 6 or 11, can that come from the basic hand wart?
Hi, thank you alexdelong =] that does help a lot... I'm just still curious about the thing on it clearing up. I mean the guy I'm with has had no symptoms ever, so 6 months vs never it seems like he should be a low chance? Now the first guy I was with (way in november), I haven't asked but I know him well enough to know he didn't/doesn't have hint of anything -he for sure would of told me... So I guess what I'm saying, is both guys didn't show any symptoms but still one of them passed it to me. Thus, it seems like 6 months of no symptoms isn't a reliable guidline...??? thoughts?? I mean if it can go dormant for years then suddenly appear how is 6 months even relevant? of course I recognize low chance doesn't mean no chance, but still... I can't help but be curious, plus, it's like I have this need to know every detail lol.
HPV is confusing, and it is clear you have done your homework.
1) Your boyfriend won't be "tested' for HPV. The doctor will do a visual inspection to see if he sees warts. If he doesn't have warts, or the warts are missed in the inspection, treatment will not be recommended. Visable warts should be treated. The absence of warts does not mean the absence of infection. Not everybody will develop warts, and those who do may have small infections or clear them quickly.
2)If a lesion is unclear, it is usually biopsied. I don't know much about the HPV test for women, but I think it is also focused on the cervix.
Most of the time suspicious bumps are treated instead of biopsied.
3) Your gyn is taking a very conservative approach. Most doctors now believe that the virus is cleared or suppressed within months. A common guidline is that if you have not shown symptoms for 6 months, the risk of transmitting the virus is very low.
Your gyn is right in saying you cannot know for sure if or when the virus is cleared, but it seems as though we can make a pretty good guess.